Grievance Debate

Piper, Mr R.W.

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:22): Bob Piper, a well-known and respected Adelaide lawyer, died on 28 June 2017, aged 87. Bob was born in Adelaide to Francis Ernest Piper and Joyce Gertrude Piper (nee Gillard) on 12 November 1929. Bob was the eldest of three children, his younger siblings being Geoffrey and Josephine. Bob was educated at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, from 1938 to 1947, being the third generation of his family to be schooled at PAC. He then studied law at the University of Adelaide. In 1961, Bob met Margaret Ann Corfield Packer and they married in 1962.

Bob was a significant figure in the Adelaide legal and business communities for over 60 years. Bob's legal career started in 1950 when he commenced work as a solicitor in the firm Piper, Bakewell and Piper, the same firm in which his father, Justice F.E. Piper, and grandfather Justice A.W. Piper worked prior to their appointments as Supreme Court judges. After a short period as an articled clerk, he worked on criminal matters. Bob developed his legal career as a commercial and estates lawyer. In 1988, he was instrumental in the merger of Piper, Bakewell and Piper with another historic Adelaide law firm Aldermans, forming Piper Alderman, now a national law firm.

Bob's common-sense approach to resolving legal and commercial problems led to his appointment to many boards of Australian public companies. Bob was a founding director and shareholder of Austereo Limited, and he also held directorships with Advertiser Newspapers, FH Faulding, Adelaide Bank Limited, Standard Chartered Bank Australia Limited, Envestra Limited, Adelaide Stevedoring Co Limited, Alexander Stenhouse Limited, G & R Wills Limited, JN Taylor and Co Limited, AFMECO, Reid Bros Holdings Limited, TVW Enterprises Limited and other listed and unlisted public companies. Bob was also chairman of the boards of Quarry Industries Ltd, Austereo Limited, Australian Executor Trustees Australia Ltd, Co-Op Retirement Services Pty Ltd and the South Australian Gas Co. Ltd.

Bob's community work was also reflected in his appointments to the boards of national and local statutory and charitable organisations, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the National Trust of South Australia (as president), the Australian Council of National Trusts (as chairman), State Records of South Australia (as chairman), and the Art Gallery of SA Foundation. He also served as an Adelaide city councillor for four years.

Bob was also President of the South Australian branch of the Institute of Company Directors and a trustee of the Gordon Darling Foundation. Bob was chairman of the Prince Alfred College Council from 1980 to 1992 and a founding member of the Prince Alfred College Foundation. From the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, Bob also served on the boards of the South Australian Lawn Tennis Association and then the South Australian Lawn Tennis Club, and the Memorial Drive Tennis Club as president from 1968 to 1987.

In 2000, Bob was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the law and to the community. Throughout his career, Bob never failed to acknowledge the support and love from his wife Margaret. Margaret was born in Melbourne and grew up in Sandringham, before her family moved to Adelaide in 1960, where she met Bob. Bob and Margaret had five children: Hugh, Bill, Ann (deceased), John and Tim.

Bob will also be remembered as a hardworking and loving family man whose pastimes included learning French, tennis, golf, following the Norwood Football Club and gardening. His passion and loyalty to South Australia and his Christian work and family values were an example for many of his family, friends and colleagues. Bob is survived by his wife Margaret, his four sons and 14 grandchildren. Vale, Bob Piper.